From one side, we heard that we’re a bunch of racists, headed the way of Nazis. From the other, we heard that anyone who objects to a law giving the police broad new powers to stop and question suspected illegal immigrants is an “anarchist” and perhaps worse (in Arizona, at least), a member of the open borders crowd.
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If you or your predecessors had done something to close the nation’s back door, we wouldn’t be in this fix, where U.S. citizens are left to wonder whether they’ll be asked for their papers simply because of the color of their skin. Where our ranchers live in a war zone and our largest city is the kidnapping capital of the planet.

Spot on. Except there was a “predecessor” that tried to do something…..Pres. Bush. In 2004 his plan was not “amnesty,” as anyone on the far right calls anything that doesn’t helicopter the 12 million illegals out of the country immediately. It did not place illegals on the automatic path to citizenship. His plan was to grant illegal immigrants living here for many years to apply for a temporary worker program.This would last for three years, and could be renewed once for a total stay of six years. If they failed to stay employed or broke the law, they would be sent home. They would also have to go to the back of the line to apply for citizenship. It would have, at the very least, taken the 12 million illegals out of the shadows and allowed us to know who they are, not to mention keep employers from exploiting them.

This proposal, while not perfect, was fair and addressed the problem with those illegals who have been living in the the United States for decades.

by Sir John Hawkins

John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.

This, and securing the border would have gone a long way to solve this issue.

But no. Those on the right refused to compromise, and the those on the left refused to help Bush do anything. Kennedy and other Democrats said it wouldn’t do enough. Kennedy said at the time, “The administration’s long delayed re involvement in the immigration debate is very disappointing. the proposal that Pres. Bush will announce today is woefully inadequate and falls far short of the serious reform our country need to fix our broken immigration system.” So just better to do nothing, right? Kennedy and the other Democrats did not care to solve this issue. They only cared that Bush not get any of the credit. To them it was and always has been about getting the Hispanic vote in their pocket.

This is exactly the kind of thing that people are sick of. We have this enormous problem. From ranchers being murdered, to drug smuggling, to illegal workers being exploited and used. The entire issue is one hot mess.

States are now taking things into their own hands, and who could blame them?

I’ve got news for both sides. We are not going to open the borders, and we are not going to deport 12 million illegals. Since the Federal government can’t seem to do anything as things deteriorate, it’s time for compromise. And that means no leftwing open borders, free ride to citizenship, and more free stuff. That also means no rightwing massive deportation or jail. It means a common sense compromise, much like that of Pres. Bush’s.

By the way, what does this new law in Arizona do? It makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally. It also requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants; allows lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws; and makes it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.

I know it’s the part where police can stop and question someone suspected of being an illegal immigrant that has so many on the left upset, but how is that different from stopping and questioning someone that a cop suspects of having drugs? They do that every day.